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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. E. THOMAS. OFFSETTING MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL GARRI AG'BS.

No. 546,124. Patented Sept. 10, 1895.

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ANDREW BjRAH/WL PHOTOLI'WQWASHINGTULD C (No Model.) V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.B. E. THOMAS. OPPSETTING MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL GARRIAGES.

Patented Sept. 10, 1895.

Mini-35555;

TO-LITHOWASWIN GTONJIC NHTED STATES EDWIN E. THOMAS, OF BAY CITY,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE M. GARLAND COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

OFFSETTING MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL-CARRlAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,124, datedSeptember 10, 1895. Application filed May 2, 1895. $erial No. 547,848.(No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. THOMAS, of Bay City, in the county of Bayand State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement inOffsetting Mechanism for Sawmill-Carriages; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to sawmill-carriages, and has for its object toprovide for use a logcarriage having a novel and very eflicient, as wellas simple, means for effecting the ottr 5 setting.

As is well known to those skilled in the art and familiar with modernsawmill machinery, it is now deemed a necessity to have the logcarriageprovided with means for effecting an offsetting thereof during thegigging movement of the carriage and the log mounted thereon, in orderto prevent adulling of the saw more on one than on the other side of theteeth by the scraping of the log against one side of the saw during thereturn movement of the log, and also to prevent the unshipping of thesaw, if itbe a band-saw,from the bandwheels by such friction of the log(or by slivers projecting laterally therefrom) during the giggingmovement; and various mechanisms or devices have heretofore been devisedand patented to automatically effectuate the offsetting of the carriageand its log during the gigging movement and to restore them to 55thejproper position for the next action of the saw just before thecarriage shall have started on another forward run, such automaticolfsetting mechanism being usually provided with means for locking thecarriage against lateral movement. Most or all of such prior offsettingmechanisms that I know of have, however, been found to be more or lessdefective or objectionable in practice on account of their complexityand the frequent 5 and delicate adjustments necessary to keep them inperfect working order.

I have devised a means for the purposes above alluded to which involvesa new principle of construction and mode of operation,

and which, while being exceedingly simple, is perfectly efficient andreliable in its workings and not at all liable to get out of perfectworking order.

My invention involves the utilization of the inertia, a weight (which,while it is in an inoperative condition, is dragged along by thecarriage) as the motor for automatically actuating the mechanism, forlaterally shifting the carriage-frame and its log on the axles of thetruck, and the mechanism thus actu- 63 atedis exceedingly simple,perfectly efficient, and easily and quickly adjusted; and my inventionmay be said to consist, primarily, in the use, in connection with alog-carriage and its offsetting mechanism, of a weight orbody 65 adaptedto be drawn along by the carriage, and which operates, by its inertiawhen stationary,to automatically actuate said mechanism, and,secondarily, in a novel combination ofdevices comprising said mechanism,all as will be hereinafter fully described, and .as will be mostparticularly pointed out in the claims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates toperfectly understand and practice the same, either in part or in whole,and either under the precise mechani cal forms herein shown or undersome modified construction, I will now proceed to more fully explainsaid invention, referring by let- 8o ters to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification, and in which I have shown myinvention reduced to practice under those mechanical details which Ihave so far adopted and employed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a log-carriage made accordingto my invention, but divested of the usual head-block knees, set-works,850., to simplify thedrawing, and having portions of the truck-framebroken go away to better show the parts necessary to be hereinparticularly described. The carriage shown is one designed to be used inconnection with a band-saw that cuts a log arranged at and extendingbeyond that side of the carriage which is at the top part of saidFig. 1. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, looking at the side farthest awayfrom the saw, of the parts seen in top view at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail vertical cross-section at the linear a: of Fig. 1.

Fig. t is a detail cross-sectional view at the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a diagrammatical view showing some of the parts of the oifsettingmechanism proper in a different condition from that shown at Fig. 1.

In the several figures the same part will be found always designated bythe same letter of reference.

A is the modern framework of a truck or sawmill logcarriage of the usualapproved construction, but provided with or having combined with it themeans and mechanism for elfecting the offsetting that are comprised bymyinveution. As 11 ual, this truck-frame is provided with wheelshafts oraxles B B and B B that carry at one set of their ends the fourplain-faced wheels 0, that travel on a flat-topped rail P, and at theother set of their ends the four pcripherallygrooved wheels R, whichride on the guide'rail S of the log-carriage track.

K is a traveling weight which, in the case shown, is arranged to slideon the guide-rail S of the carriage-track and which to better adapt itto this purpose and prevent undue wear of the rail S, is provided at itslower surface with a wooden shoe-piece 7;, which contacts with thetrack-rail, as shown. Said weight K, which is the actuator of theoffsetting mechanism proper of the carriage, is preferably of metal andis shown of a form such that its upwardly-projecting portion 7c is inthe shape of a thin plate, about square in contour, that stands in closeproximity to and parallel with an oblong projection fof the outer sidebeam of frame A and that is loosely embraced laterally by a metallicyoke or confiningstrap N, that is securely bolted, as seen, to the outersurface of said frame pro jectionf. The length of said confining-strap Mis such (see Fig. 1) as to permit acertain degree of movement of thepart 7; of the weight within the loop of M endwise of the truckframe, asand for a purpose to be presently described, and said part 7c of thesaid actuating-weight is perforated for the passage through it of oneend portion of a lever Z, which operates the frame shifting oroffsetting devices. The offscttingis, of course, effected by the usuallateral movement of the frame A, together with the log thereon, upon orendwise of the truck-axles and, as is well known, this movement iscomparatively small-say about a half inch.

In the drawings the extent of side movement of the frame A on the axlesor relatively to the vertical plane of the saw (indicated by the line atFig. 1, marked sawline) is plainly indicated by the space at N (seeFig. 1) between the hub of the wheel R and the journal-box of the axlethat comes about into contact with said hub when the frame A is movedout of the position in which it appears in the drawings.

The inner end of the lever I, before referred to, is hinged at z' to thelower part of a metallic stand J, which is bolted to the inner one ofthe side beams of the frame A, and to said lever is pivoted one end of ametallic link or bar H, the other and lower end of. which is pivoted toone end of a shorter link G, and the last named part, like its mate G,(see Fig. 1,) has the end nearer the plane of the saw, hinged to thedepending part of a metallic stand F, secured to the inn-or side beam offrame A, while both of said parts G and G are pivotally coupled to along slide-bar E, as clearly shown. This slide-bar E is hung or mountedin two supporting stirrup-like devices 0 G, that are journaled ormounted, box-like, on the shafts or axles l3 and B in such manner thatit can freely slide endwise within the apertures of said devices throughwhich its end portions pass. This slide-bar E is preferably arranged inabout a horizontal plane and about parallel with the sides of the frameA, all as shown; and the stands F, to the pendents of which the linksGand G are coupled, are combined with the side beam of frame A in suchmanner that they can each be adjusted relatively thereto and sidewise ofthe truck by means of the adjustingscrcw and nuts, seen at W, (see Fig.1,) for the purpose of taking up any wear and keeping the offsettingmechanism in perfect. adjustment.

D represents simple collars secured two on axle B and two on axle B asshown, to hold the box-lilre devices O O in place endwise on theirrespective shafts.

The operation of the devices shown and so far described, mainly withreference to their construction and arrangement together, is as follows:Suppose the carriage to be in the condition and all the working parts ofthe offsetting mechanism to be in the positions shown at Figs. 1 and 2,which is the condition that exists while the log is being sawed, andthat the carriage is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrowat Fig. 1. While thus traveling during the log sawing operation, it isplain that, the weight K, the upwardly-projecting part k of which is incontact at its rearmost edge with the rearmost part of the yoke M, willsimply be carried along by said yoke or made to travel in unison withthe logcarriage. lVhen, however, the motion of the carriage shall bereversed to perform the gigging stroke or travel, it is obvious thatduring the first part of said reversed movement of the carriage theweight K will remain stationary on. the rail on which it is adapted toslide until the opposite end of the yoke 1. shall have moved along withthe carriage to a point at which it will come into contact with theopposite vertical side of the part 71: that is now seen to be in contactwith the yoke, and inasmuch as the outer end of the long cross-lever Iis coupled to the part 7.. of. said weight it follows that while thesaid weight thus remains stationary during this initial or early part ofthe movement of the carriage the end of lever l, coupled to said weight,must stand still, and the result of this condition of affairs is thatduring the time that the carriage is moving in the opposite IIOdirection to that indicated by the arrow at Fig. 1 and the weight K isstanding still the lever I will have been vibrated on its fulcrum at iin the direction and to the extent illustrated at Fig. 5. In otherwords, during the time that is required, when the carriages stroke isreversed, to shift the relative position of parts 75 and M from thatseen at Figs. 1 and 2 to that indicated at Fig. 5 the weight K will haveoperated to hold back the outer end. of lever I to effect the changedposition of said lever seen at the last-named figure. Now, this shiftingof said lover I operates through the medium of links H and G and theirconnections with the slide bar E to move the latter endwise to asufficient extent to cause the links G and G to assume the positionsshown at Fig. 5, and this necessitates, of course, a shortening of thedistance between the bar E and the side beam of the frame A to whichsaid links G and G are pivoted. The slide-bar E cannot change itspositions sidewise relatively to the axles of the truck because thedevices 0 C in which it slides are held endwise on the axles B and B bythe collars D hereinbefore described. Hence the side beams of the frameA to which the outer ends of links G and G are coupled must move towardthe said bar E, and this movement of said side beams of courseeffectuates the necessary lateral movement of the entire frame A on theaxles of the truck.

It will be understood, of course, that when thestroke of the carriage isagain reversed to again saw the log the same sort of action again takesplace, only that the weight K this time operates by its inertia to holdback the end of lever I in an opposite direction, so that the offsettingdevices proper and the carriage are all forced to resume the conditionsillustrated at Fig. 1 before the log comes into contact with the saw.

'So far as the first part of my invention is concernedviz., the use ofthe weight to act by its inertia to actuate the offsetting devicessomeother and entirely different offsetting mechanism proper might of coursebe employed, and in the carrying into effect said first part of myinvention a weight or traveling body of any other form than that shownmight be used, arranged to slide or travel on a supplemental or specialrail or track instead of being mounted on the rail on which one set ofthe wheels of the logcarriage ride, the pith of this first part of myinvention resting upon the idea of the use of some sort of travelingbody connected with the carriage in such manner that the inertia of suchbody, while left at rest for a short interval of time at or near the endof each stroke of the carriage, is utilized to move or shift theoffsetting devices and effectuate the necessary lateral movement of thecarriage and its log. I therefore wish to be understood that- WVhat Iclaim, broadly, as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a saw mill carriage, the combination, with the truck3and theoffsetting mechanism, of a weight operating solely by its inertia, whenat rest, and during the initial movement of the carriage, to cause thenecessary movements of the working parts of said mechanism;substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a saw mill carriage, the combination with the truck; the laterallyadjustable frame; and a weight arranged to be drawn along by thecarriage, but to have intervals of rest at the end of each stroke of thecarriage, of the bar E, arranged to slide endwise, in stirruplikedevices on the truck-axles; the links G, G; and the actuating lever I,pivoted at one end to the truck frame, coupled by the connecting rod Hto one of the said links, and coupled at its other end to the saidweight; the whole constructed to operate as and for the purposes setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4:1111 day ofSeptember, 1894.

EDXVIN E. THOMAS. 'In presence of- ALFRED B. LENNOX, RICHARD A. MoKAY.

